I do agree with the metadata problem, but what is the problem with someone in the US using Signal to chat with friends? My main point here is to not just dismiss Signal entirely, but instead understand the problems with it, and in what situations you should be using it.
The people most at risk for using signal, are US citizens. There’s a very high chance that Signal, being a US domiciled company, means its database is compromised. That gives the US gov / NSA / police social graphs, who is using signal, who is talking to who, and when. If you’re in an activist group, an anti-capitalist party, an anti-landlord group, the US government knows who you are talking with, when, and all of your names and addresses.
I think that’s a reasonable concern. Do you suggest using Matrix for everything then? That would be a challenge, especially getting less tech savvy people to start using Element.
Element definitely ticks all the boxes that i have on my list. of course everything can be MiTM’d by taking the devs hostage or handing down legal filings against ISPs, but in the overall scheme of things, it’s best to distribute over various networks under various accounts, putting the data together is usually an overreach if you are not outright violent or criminal which i don’t assume anyone on the far left to be, at least not by ideological design
I do agree with the metadata problem, but what is the problem with someone in the US using Signal to chat with friends? My main point here is to not just dismiss Signal entirely, but instead understand the problems with it, and in what situations you should be using it.
The people most at risk for using signal, are US citizens. There’s a very high chance that Signal, being a US domiciled company, means its database is compromised. That gives the US gov / NSA / police social graphs, who is using signal, who is talking to who, and when. If you’re in an activist group, an anti-capitalist party, an anti-landlord group, the US government knows who you are talking with, when, and all of your names and addresses.
I think that’s a reasonable concern. Do you suggest using Matrix for everything then? That would be a challenge, especially getting less tech savvy people to start using Element.
Yep I would. My partner and I use element every day, its not really any less user friendly than signal nowadays.
Element definitely ticks all the boxes that i have on my list. of course everything can be MiTM’d by taking the devs hostage or handing down legal filings against ISPs, but in the overall scheme of things, it’s best to distribute over various networks under various accounts, putting the data together is usually an overreach if you are not outright violent or criminal which i don’t assume anyone on the far left to be, at least not by ideological design